Theater News

Beetlejuice Will Open on Broadway Next Year

Alex Brightman and Sophia Anne Caruso lead the pre-Broadway world premiere in Washington, DC.

Alex Brightman and Sophia Anne Caruso lead the cast of Beetlejuice, transferring to Broadway this spring.
Alex Brightman and Sophia Anne Caruso lead the cast of Beetlejuice, transferring to Broadway this spring.
(© Darren Cox/SpotCo)

Warner Bros. Theatre Ventures and Langley Park Productions announced today that the new musical comedy Beetlejuice will transfer to Broadway's Winter Garden Theatre, beginning previews in March 2019 ahead of an April opening. Beetlejuice is set to begin its world-premiere run at the National Theatre in Washington, DC, beginning performances on Sunday, October 14, and officially opening on Sunday, November 4.

Beetlejuice is directed by two-time Tony nominee Alex Timbers (Moulin Rouge!, Peter and the Starcatcher), with an original score by Eddie Perfect (King Kong), a book by Scott Brown and Emmy nominee Anthony King (Broad City), choreography by Connor Gallagher (The Robber Bridegroom), and music supervision, orchestrations, and incidental music by Kris Kukul (Joan of Arc: Into the Fire).

Leading the DC cast is Tony nominee Alex Brightman as Beetlejuice opposite Sophia Anne Caruso as Lydia, along with Kerry Butler as Barbara, Rob McClure as Adam, Adam Dannheisser as Charles, Leslie Kritzer as Delia, Jill Abramovitz as Maxine Dean, Danny Rutigliano as Maxie Dean, and Kelvin Moon Loh as Otho.

The ensemble includes Tessa Alves Johnny Brantley, Ryan Breslin, Brooke Engen, Abe Goldfarb, Eric Anthony Johnson, Elliott Mattox, Mateo Melendez, George Merrick, Ramone Owens, Devin Roberts, Presley Ryan, Kim Sava, and Dana Steingold.

Beetlejuice (based on the 1988 Warner Bros. motion picture) tells the story of Lydia Deetz, a strange and unusual teenager obsessed with the whole "being dead thing." Lucky for Lydia, her new house is haunted by a recently deceased couple and a degenerate demon who happens to have a thing for stripes. When Lydia calls on this ghost-with-the-most to scare away her insufferable parents, Beetlejuice comes up with the perfect plan, which involves exorcism, arranged marriages, and an adorable girl scout who gets scared out of her wits.

The creative team includes scenic design by David Korins, costume design by William Ivey Long, lighting design by Kenneth Posner, sound design by Peter Hylenski, projection design by Peter Nigrini, puppet design by Michael Curry, special effects design by Jeremy Chernick, illusions by Michael Weber, music producing by Matt Stine, and dance arrangements by David Dabbon.